Physics Demos that are Out of this World

May 31, 2012 7:19 AM

Science off the Sphere is a video series by Don Pettit aboard the ISS showing off the neat things you can do in zero-gravity.

1.) Bistro-nauts
2.) Dancing Droplets
3.) Thin Film Physics
4.) Lenses and Vortices
5.) Fun with Antibubbles (antibubbles)
6.) Earth in Infrared
7.) Space Soundwaves
8.) Goo!

Bonus: Barry White and a non-Newtonian fluid

[Don Pettit previously]

posted by quin (13 comments total)

Don't try this at home.
posted by Anything at 7:24 AM on May 31, 2012

Don't try this at home.

I wish it had been done at home. It would have saved a great deal of money, a number of lives, and the results in scientific achievement would have been pretty much the same.
posted by three blind mice at 7:47 AM on May 31, 2012

2:18 into the Goo! video looks like there's a tiny man trying to escape from the speaker. Creepy.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:56 AM on May 31, 2012

I wish it had been done at home. It would have saved a great deal of money, a number of lives, and the results in scientific achievement would have been pretty much the same.

Fire too - that stuff is deadly. Shoulda stuck with animal pelts.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 8:04 AM on May 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

wink
posted by Salvor Hardin at 8:05 AM on May 31, 2012

The corn starch doesn't look too different then what happens on earth
posted by delmoi at 8:05 AM on May 31, 2012

another good video of cornstarch on a speaker (on earth)
posted by delmoi at 8:07 AM on May 31, 2012

Incidentally, "Barry White and the Non-Newtonian Fluids" is the name of my new band.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:00 AM on May 31, 2012

Don Petit is such an amazing person. When I was little, I loved airplanes and went to airshows often. He was an acquaintance of my father's, and one airshow he flew a NASA T-38 (2 seater version of the F-5) from across states and showed me and my brother around the airplane before enthusiastically engaging a big crowd interested in his colorful training jet.

It's cool to see that he is still the most energetic and inspiring guy ever. Thanks for the post.
posted by hellslinger at 9:02 AM on May 31, 2012 [1 favorite]

So this is not about the worst Crichton adaptation ever?
posted by Fizz at 9:04 AM on May 31, 2012

Timeline?
posted by Mister Moofoo at 6:40 PM on May 31, 2012

These are great, but I was slightly put off when I realised that he sounds like Caboose. Petit is probably just a little bit more intelligent, though.
posted by milkb0at at 11:46 PM on May 31, 2012

I really enjoyed the latest episode from May 30th, in which he uses a vacuum cleaner hose as a digeridoo.
posted by amf at 4:01 PM on June 2, 2012